Industry Trends
July 2024
See what has been happening in Asia’s food and beverage industries over the last weeks. What are experts and industry magazines talking about?
What has been happening?
Fooditive unveils healthier and more sustainable sugar alternative with “extraordinary sweetness”, Balancing sourness and stickiness in candies amid “intense” flavor demand, Plant-based flavors and more. Find out what journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.
Latest Industry Articles
Fooditive unveils healthier and more sustainable sugar alternative with “extraordinary sweetness”
Nestlé unveils a customizable plant-based meat alternative — Maggi Rindecarne — that consumers can add to minced meat to prepare dishes that retain nutritional value without compromising on taste. The innovation is a “meat extender” with a mix of soy and spices that allows consumers to prepare a dish combining meat and plant-based proteins, “doubling” the number of servings at an affordable price, says Nestlé.
Corbion: Balancing sourness and stickiness in candies amid “intense” flavor demand
Consumers today crave unique and intense flavors in their sweets, such as sour candies, says Willy van Arkel-van Arendonk, senior manager of Business Development & Product Management at Corbion. The trend is driving innovation among confectionery manufacturers to ensure the candies have the desired texture and stay “visually attractive and stable” longer by avoiding the stickiness that reduces consumer acceptance.
Plant-based flavors: Neutralizing off-notes, developing desirable flavor profiles and boosting clean label
With its low-calorie and low-carb profile, a new sweetener developed in the Netherlands is targeting a very particular segment of consumers.
‘Keto-Fructose’ sweetener developed for consumers following ketogenic diet
A study published June 6 in the European Heart Journal finds an association between consuming the sweetener xylitol and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The FDA considers xylitol safe for use in food and toothpaste.
Study finds correlation between sweetener, higher heart disease risk
Food safety authorities in the UK have approved the use of PureCircle by Ingredion’s steviol glycosides produced using the bioconversion method. The go-ahead will allow the company to offer its Reb D and Reb M sweeteners in the region, alongside the existing stevia sweeteners and natural flavor modifiers and increase F&B manufacturers’ access to the stevia leaf molecules to enhance their products.
UK authorities approve PureCircle Reb M stevia from bioconversion
Dutch plant-based ingredient manufacturer Fooditive introduces its Keto-Fructose sweetener, derived from apples and pears, to the US. The 5-keto-D-fructose sweetener is currently undergoing a generally recognized as safe assessment by the US Food and Drug Administration. The company notes that Keto-Fructose preserves all the vital functionalities of sugar while offering extraordinary sweetness.
Nestlé innovates plant-based alternative for hybrid minced meat recipes
The US FDA has revoked authorization for using brominated vegetable oil in beverages after an updated assessment finds the chemical has the “potential for adverse health effects in humans.” The new ruling will come into force on August 2, 2024, after decades of what some believe has been “inaction” on BVO.
FDA bans brominated vegetable oil in beverages amid potential health concerns
Food standard agencies in England, Wales and Scotland recently confirmed that monk fruit decoctions, a naturally sweet low-calorie food, are not novel. The change of stance now permits their use as an ingredient in food and beverage products sold in the UK, while there is also an EU-wide effect.
Monk fruit opportunities open up in UK and EU after regulatory U-turn
F&B players are observing a rise in demand for botanicals in foods and beverages, which is ultimately driving manufacturers to seek out quality solutions that can elevate products with intriguing flavor profiles and potential functionality and support clean labels with ingredients deemed “closer to nature.
Botanicals boost clean label and sustainability credentials with “natural” appeal
Experts view precision fermentation as a way to bring new sources of proteins and ingredients to consumers seeking sustainable foods with limited environmental impact, creating a need for the technology’s scale up.
Danone’s biotech platform touted to propel “new sources of proteins” as demand proliferates
Food IngredientsFIrst News
International ice cream producer and distributor Food Union has unveiled its range of 2024 summer season ice creams targeted at consumers looking for new taste experiences, exciting textures and fruitful flavors. The company has developed 55 new ice cream products, taking into account global trends and local consumer preferences across six European markets.
Ice cream trends: Food Union taps European market with lighter alternatives, new textures and plant ingredients
Food IngredientsFIrst News
The plant-based evolution continues to thrive, with more demand from a global consumer base seeking non-animal F&B solutions. The rate of commercial launches may have slightly eased off in recent years, partly due to inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, and worldwide conflicts weighing heavy on supply chains, but this isn’t stopping leaders in the space from innovating plant-based products on a deeper, more sophisticated level.
Plant-based egg separates yolk and white
BakeryAndSnacks
Already producing a plant-based egg alternative with separated yolk and white, Neggst plans to develop a raw egg for retail which may, eventually, have a shell.
Singapore invests in precision fermentation hub to mitigate food insecurity
Food IngredientsFIrst News
US-based University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has received a five-year, US$14.8 million grant to develop a “Centre for Precision Fermentation and Sustainability” (PreFerS). The funding for the center, which will focus on advancing technologies for microbial cell engineering to formulate “safe, nutritious and appetizing” foods, has been given by Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF).
Beyond The Headlines: Cargill upgrades innovation hub in China, Nestlé’s air fryer meal innovation
Food IngredientsFIrst News
In this week’s industry updates, Cargill injected US$4 million in an innovation center in China for syrups and cocoa advancements and FrieslandCampina shared its farmer premiums for sustainability initiatives. Meanwhile, Nestlé innovated air fryer-friendly meal solutions and EIT Food announced the winners of its agrifood entrepreneurship program that facilitates sustainable growth for start-ups.
HNC and Fi & Hi Asia-China 2024: “Punk health” combines traditional Chinese medicine with prepackaged snacks
Food IngredientsFIrst News
Functional foods and supplements are finding their way into younger hands as China’s new generation adopts a more proactive approach to health. Traditional Chinese medicine is a strong source of inspiration, from orange peel tea in ready-to-use coffee capsules to rose cakes infused with donkey skin collagen. At the same time, science-backed and traceable ingredients are taking off in beverages, powder mixes, gummies and yogurts.
Imports expedition: Philippines launches new digital ‘pre-border’ verification system for food products
FoodNavigator-Asia
The Philippines government has launched a new digital ‘pre-border’ verification and payment system for food and other product imports to improve efficiency, with the scheme to be headed by a multi-ministry committee.
India, China and US will be key drivers for global alcohol market growth
BeverageDaily
India, China and the US will add $30bn in incremental value to the total beverage alcohol category by 2028, according to IWSR.
Job Creation Law challenges: Indonesia delays halal mandate for small food firms by two years in view of slow progress
FoodNavigator-Asia
The Indonesian government has announced a two-year postponement of its mandate for all food and beverage enterprises to be halal certified, originally set for this year, in view of governance changes and the slow progress being made.
Chinese consumers reveal growing appetite toward plant-based foods, ProVeg flags
Food IngredientsFIrst News
A new report by ProVeg International has found that 98% of Chinese consumers will choose a higher volume of plant-based foods once they are informed of the benefits, particularly in relation to health and plant-based lifestyles. The report, titled “China and Plant-based Food: Attitudes and Opportunities,” is based on 1,000 consumers living in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
‘Coffee meets tea’: Nescafe China touts dual beverage experience with upcycled cascara drink line
BeverageDaily
Nestle China has launched an upcycled cascara beverage line that offers consumers a dual ‘coffee meets tea’ drinking experience, tapping on the strong local demand for teas and rapid new product innovation.
On the sauce: Austrian 'all natural' ketchup brand Curtice Brothers finding favour in Asia's rapidly-growing condiments sector
FoodNavigator-Asia
Austrian ketchup brand Curtice Brothers says a focus on natural ingredients, heritage and sustainability is helping it compete with local and international condiment giants in Asia, with the firm seeing success in China, Singapore and Japan.
Fruity future: Thai Coconut, TipCo, Zespri and more on the evolution of fruit-based innovation in APAC
FoodNavigator-Asia
Fruit-based product innovation and consumption formats in APAC are evolving far beyond conventional use, with innovation spanning bakery products to alternative seafood, according to industry experts.
Lager leap: Carlsberg Malaysia launches new 1664 Brut to capture wider beer audience
FoodNavigator-Asia
Carlsberg Malaysia has expanded its 1664 premium beer portfolio with a new lager offering, hoping to appeal to a wider consumer segment with its ASEAN-first launch into this new category.
‘Clear direction’ needed: Thailand drafts new alt-protein policies that ban certain animal-related terms for plant-based products
FoodNavigator-Asia
The Thai government has published draft regulations on governance over the alternative proteins industry starting with the plant-based sector, and has suggested banning certain animal-related terms but allowing others.
Aiming for food security in a challenging environment
Business World
When Filipinos talk about putting food on the table, they often consider the cost of bringing food, from the source, through various channels, and finally to the family home for the consumption and nourishment of its members. Food security is knowing that there will always be food available not only for the day but in the foreseeable future, and that the members of the family, while they have had something to eat today, will also not go hungry tomorrow or the days after that.
‘Shortcutting the process’: Thailand’s Buono credits plant-based success to portfolio variety and move away from meat replacements
FoodNavigator-Asia
Thailand-based plant-based specialist firm Buono believes that the success of its business can be credited to its portfolio variety which focuses on more unique products as opposed to meat replacements.
‘Very different markets’: China’s immense protein needs continue to propel plant-based dairy demand – experts
FoodNavigator-Asia
China’s large population and enormous protein requirements has given the local plant-based dairy sector room to continue to grow in a ‘very different’ way from plant-based meat, according to local industry leader Yeyo.
Angel Yeast and fitt8’s innovative protein nougat combines traditional taste with modern nutrition
Food IngredientsFIrst News
Angel Yeast unveils two innovative products using the company’s alternative protein in partnership with healthy food brand ffit8. The new offerings include a nougat protein bar and a protein nougat snack, which were introduced at the 2024 Food & Beverage Innovation Forum (FBIF 2024) in Shanghai, China (June 25 – 27).
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